A Role Model Who Leaves Little To Frett

David Teel

The T-shirt, worn by a camp counselor, was perfect. "Little Girls Need Big Girls To Look Up To."

The camp, sponsored by Newport News Parks and Recreation, attracted scores of little girls and boys and one notable big girl: La'Keshia Frett.

And if any young person, regardless of gender, wants to admire an athlete, they can't do much better than Frett, one of the Peninsula's own.

Not because Frett is the finest female basketball player these parts have seen. Not because she was an All-American at Georgia. And not because she plays professionally for the Philadelphia Rage of the American Basketball League.

Those reasons aren't good enough. These are:

* Frett, ever humble, turned down a guaranteed contract. She wants to earn her money.

* She graduated from Georgia in four years, majoring in consumer economics. A second undergrad degree, or perhaps a masters, is among her goals.

* After only one season in the ABL, Frett already is preparing for life after basketball. She's inquiring about summer internships and pondering independent business ventures, none of which involve sports.

Clearly, this young woman has got it together. And that explains why camp organizer Shann Hart, a Newport News native coaching basketball at St. Mary's College in Maryland, arranged Frett's appearance.

``I'm using basketball,'' Frett told the campers Monday afternoon at the Midtown Community Center. ``Using basketball to make connections, using basketball to meet people.''

With so many athletes blinded by the hype, with so many focused on their next endorsement deal, Frett's words are music to the ears.

``Some players want that exposure,'' she said later, relaxing in the gymnasium. ``But exposure's not that important to me. High school, college, I've been through that.''

For sure. Frett was all-everything at Phoebus High, where she scored 3,824 points in four seasons. She was All-Southeastern Conference three times at Georgia, where she made the Final Four.

Coming out of Georgia last spring, Frett encountered the decision most elite collegians face: ABL or WNBA? The WNBA is more glamorous. The ABL pays better. The WNBA plays in the summer, the ABL in the fall and winter.

Frett went against the latest trend and chose the ABL, in part because she could play close to home for the Richmond Rage. Oops, the Rage moved to Philly.

There were other setbacks, too. The Rage, ABL runner-up in 1997, finished 13-31, Frett's first experience with a losing team. She averaged a modest 9.7 points and 4.6 rebounds as a small forward and lost 20 pounds off her 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame.

Still, Frett has no regrets. She likes the ABL's traditional season. She likes her incentive-driven contract.

``It makes me feel like a better person,'' she said of earning her keep.

That contract expires after the 1998-99 season, and the WNBA certainly will come calling. Then Frett will ponder options again, factoring in the Rage's improvement under new coach Anne Donovan, a former Old Dominion All-American and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

But basketball considerations will remain secondary for La'Keshia Frett. There's a life to prepare for, possible careers in consumer protection or customer relations, maybe even a crack at the restaurant business.

``You need to plan,'' she said. ``I need to save and sacrifice now so I can have what I want later.''

David Teel can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com.